Abstract Background The Dokdo sea lion (Zalophus japonicus), commonly referred to as Ganchi in Korea and also known as the Japanese sea lion, was endemic to the Northwest Pacific coast before becoming extinct in the 1950s. Little is known about its origins, speciation compared to other Otariidae species or how the rapid decline affected the species’ genetic diversity. Results To raise the Dokdo sea lion from this relative obscurity, we sequenced DNA from 16 Z. japonicus’ bone fragments, obtained from Dokdo and Ulleungdo islands in Korea. Our analysis establishes Z. japonicus as the earliest diverged species within its genus, significantly redefining its evolutionary relationship with the California (Z. californianus) and Galapagos (Z. wollebaeki) sea lions. This genome-scale analysis clarifies the phylogeny of Z. japonicus, shedding light on its speciation and the evolutionary pathways that shaped its genetic diversity before its extinction. In addition, we discovered, population decline of the Z. japonicus started already 1,000 years ago, however, Z. japonicus genome maintained a relatively high heterozygosity despite, nearing extinction. Conclusions Our genome-scale analysis eliminated ambiguity in Z. japonicus phylogeny, and shed light on the evolutionary pathways underlying its speciation. This study highlights the importance of the genome-scale analysis for extinct species to understand their complex evolutionary histories and conservation status.
